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I have always been a little lazy when it comes to home maintenance, but this past winter it really caused a lot of problems. I never change air filters when I am supposed to, and it started causing a lot of issues. I realized that my furnace just wasn't clicking on when it should, and it was making it hard to stay comfortable in my home. To make matters worse, my energy bill kept going up and up, and I knew that I needed to improve things. I called in a professional HVAC contractor who explained the problems that can be caused by neglecting your filters. This website is dedicated to understanding filter concerns.

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Any home that uses forced air heat will have a furnace that produces and circulates the air through their entire home. Over time, the furnace will eventually not be as efficient and it will cost more money to operate. Thankfully, there are some DIY repairs that can improve the furnace's efficiency. One of these is servicing the furnace's fan. Here are some tips for removing and cleaning the fan of all the dirt and debris that has collected on it over the years.

Locating The Fan

The fan should be fairly easy to locate since you must use an access panel to get to it. It is typically on the front side of your furnace, and has a vent that allows you to see inside. Turn off the power before opening up the panel, then remove the screws that are holding the panel on to gain access to the fan.

Removing The Fan's Blades

The fan blades may seem clean, but there might be dirt that has built up on the fan's central rod that needs cleaning. Since the central rod is lubricated, it makes this part of the fan a magnet for collecting dirt and dust. The best method for cleaning the central rod is by removing the fan blades so that you have easy access to the rod.

Look for a bolt somewhere on the furnace's fan that is removable, unscrew it, and then lift the fan blades off the rod. Be aware that there could be weights on the blades to keep them balanced, so take note of where the weights are by snapping a picture of it. This will help you make sure the weights are in the correct place when you put everything back at the very end.

Cleaning The Fan And Furnace

All you need to wipe off the fan blades and the rod is a wet rag. You don't need to use cleaning chemicals either, just wipe off the visible dust that is on the surface. It's also a good idea to use a vacuum to remove and dirt that is in the furnace. It will be easy to do with the fan removed.

Once all the pieces are clean, you can reassemble the fan in the same way that you removed it.

This is just one way to improve the efficiency of your home's furnace. If your furnace has not been serviced in a long time, contact a furnace repair company, like Bill's Heating & Air Conditioning, that can handle the maintenance for you.